Key-controlled registering apparatus.



A. F. DIXON.

KEY CONTROLLED REGISTERING APPARATUS.

APPLIOATIOH FILED MAY 17, 1912.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

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THE NORRIS PETERS c0., PHOTC-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D C.

A. F. DIXON.

KEY CONTROLLED REGISTERING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 17, 1912.

1,125,273. Patented Jan.19,1915.

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a SHEETSSHEET a A. F. DIXON.

APPLICATION mum urn. 1912.

KEY CONTROLLED REGISTERING APPARATUS.

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1n: NORRIS PETERS 60., PHOTC-LITNO.. WASHINGTON. D. (.4

Wfinesses. 5 7 AU- 93 7 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

AMOS F. DIXON, 0F NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO \VESTERN ELECTRIC COM- PANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

KEY-CONTROLLED REGISTERING APPARATUS.

Application filed May 17, 1912.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AMos F. DIXON, citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a certain new and use ful Improvement in Key-Controlled Registering Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description.

This invention relates to semi-automatic telephone systems, and particularly to the selector controlling arrangements for such systems.

In a semi-automatic telephone exchange system, an operator at a central office may be provided with keys having controlling apparatus associated therewith, so arranged that switching appliances or selectors may be controlled thereby to extend connection from 'a calling line to a called or wanted line, the operation of the selectors being determined according to the particular keys actuated.

The general object of my invention is to provide a new and improved controlling arrangement for a selector, particularly adapted for use in connection with systems of the kind above mentioned.

To the above end, my invention in general comprises a controlling arrangement in which the depression of a key will cause a controlling device to move immediately to a position corresponding to the key actuated, whereupon the controlling device will be moved to normal position, and in so moving will control the extent of movement of a switching appliance or selector for the purpose of causing the latter to move to its proper position according to the key actuated.

In order to illustrate in this application the best mode of applying the principles of my invention, I have shown and described a certain embodiment thereof which is also shown in another application in the name of John N. Reynolds, Serial No. 699,126, filed May 23, 1912, assigned to the same assignee as the present case. In this application I claim the invention broadly; and in the Reynolds case the claims are directed to the par- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 19, 1915.

Serial No. 697,901.

ticular type of arrangement whereby the movable member of the controlling apparatus is stopped at a point-corresponding to the particular key depressed.

In the embodiment of my invention herein shown, a series of contact points or terminals are associated with corresponding keys whereby said terminals may be electrically selected, and a movable contact member or brush is arranged to traverse said terminals and to cooperate with any selected terminal to cause the brush tobe stopped at that terminal. After reaching the selected terminal,

the movable contact member is caused to return to normal under the control of a stepping magnet, and in its return movement it controls the operation of a selector. The movement of the movable contact member in traveling to the terminal selected by the actuated key, may be termed its registering action, and the second movement of said contact member may be termed its controlling ac tion. The registering action will take place independently of the selector to be controlled, and in the controlling operation the selector and the movable contact member of the controlling device are caused to operate in unison, as by current impulses corresponding to the successive steps of each, until the movable contact member reaches its normal position, whereupon both the controlling device and the selector are stopped, the position of the selector being thus determined by the extent of the movement of the movable contact member, in other words, by the key which has been actuated.

The invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is an end elevation of one form of controller apparatus which may be used with the system of the invention; Figs. 2. and 4 are side elevations of said controller apparatus; Fig. 3 is a plan view, partly in section, of said controller apparatus; and Fig. 5 is a diagram showing the circuits used with the controller shown in the other figures.

Like parts are designated by the same characters of reference through the various figures.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, showing one type'of controller apparatus adapted for use with the system of'the invention, 10 is a frame having journaled therein two independently rotatable members 11 and 12, the former, which is hereinafter referred to as the driving member, being adapted to be connected to a source of power through the medium of the gear 13. Between said members, connecting mechanism, preferably an electromagnetic clutch, is provided, said clutch comprising the electromagnet 14 surrounding the shaft 16 of the driving member, whichshaft serves as a core for said electromagnet, the brass disk 17 mounted on said driving member and carrying a disk of cork or othersuitable frictional material, the iron plate or armature 18 mounted on the shaft of the member 12 and carrying a disk 19 of paper or other suitable frictional material," and' the casing 20 which provides a return path for the magnetic flux. The disk 18-is coupled to the shaft on which it is carried by means of the interlocking members 21 and 22, whereby, when the electromagnet is energized, a. slight longitudinal movement of said disk is possible, thus allowing the disk 17 to grip the disk 18.

Insulatively mounted upon the frame 10 are contact terminals comprising the series of tern'iinals -23 and a segmental plate 24, the latter being provided with the projection 25 for connecting it in circuit. A. member 26, which is the element to be displaced in the operation of the system and which is hereinafter'referr'ed to as the driven or movable contact member, preferably comprises two electrically united finder brushes 27 and 28, which respectively sweep over the series of contact terminals 23 and the segmental plate 24 as said driven member is rotated by the driving member 11.

A segmental ratchet 29 carried on the shaft of the driven member and rotatable therewith, is provided with three series of teeth. one series comprising teeth 30 and the other two series comprising teeth 31 and 32. A spring 33 secured at one end 3i to the frame and at the other end to the ratchet provides restoring means for the dri en member 26.

A stopping clectromagnet 35 mounted on the frame 10 is provided with an armature 36, said armature carrying a catch 37 adapted, when the electromagnet is energized. to engage the teeth 30 and stop the driven member in whatever position it may he in at the instant.

An electromagnet 38. also mounted on the frame 10, is provided with an armature 39 carrying an escapement 40 adapted to alternately engage the teeth 31 and 32 when said armature oscillates.

Mounted upon the frame 10 are two switches, one of which comprises springs 41 and 42 normally held apart by an insulating stud 43 carried by the ratchet, and the other of which comprises the normally closed springs L4- and 45 adapted to be opened by an insulating stud t6 carried by the armature of the electromagnet 35 when said electromagnet is energized.

Referring to Fig. 5 showing the above described apparatus connected in circuit 0, 1, 2, 6, 7, S and 9 are keys, each of which comprises a spring 47 and two associated springs 48 and 49 with which said spring 47 makes electrical connection in the order mentioned when the plunger or other operat-ing part is actuated. Springs 47 of all the keys are connected to ground through the common conductor 50. Springs 48fof the keys are connected individually to corresponding contact terminals 23 of the controller by way of conductors 51. Springs 4-9 of the keys are connected by the common conductor 52 which leads, by way of conductor to spring 45 of the switch controlled by the'stopping magnet 35., The alternate spring 4% of said switclfis connected to conductor 54 leading through electromagnet 14 of the clutch to the battery 55 and ground.

The stopping electromagnet 35 is connected in a circuit including battery 55, conductor 56 and the segmental plate 24, which circuit will, as the driven member rotates, be extended to ground by way of the electrically united brushes 27 and 28 of said driven member, contact terminal 23, conductor 51 leading to any key which may be depressed, springs 47 and =18 of the key depressed and conductor 50.

In the system of the invention as embodied in semi-automatic telephone exchange systems, the controller would from time to time be brought into operative relation to selecting mechanism. or to various selecting mechanisms, and disconnected therefrom. Since. however, the selecting mechanism and also the method of associating it with the controller constitute no part of the present invention, the circuits and apparatus which may be employed are notherein set forth in detail, there being diagrammatically shown only a single selector and suflicient of the. associated circuits to demonstrate the interrelation between the selector and the controller. The circuit of the stepping magnet 38 may be traced from the battery 57 through the line relay 58 of the selector 59, conductor (30. switch 61, conductor 62, stepping magnet 38. conductor 63, contact springs 42, 11, conductor 64 and ioo ground. This circuit, as will be noted, is inshunt of the circuit through the stepping magnet 38 and by this means the stepping magnet will be momentarily deenergized every time the contact member 67 rides upon one of the projections 69 ofthe segment 70, which it will do each time the selector moves from one of its selective positions to another.

The switch 61 may be operated by any suitable means eitherv manually, or, preferably, automatically, at any time desired, but since the means for operating this switch, as well as the particular means andmethod of oper ating the selector form no part of my 1nvention as herein involved, they are only shown in so far as they may serve to set forththe utility and operation of my invention. It is only necessary to observe that when once the contact springs 41 and 42 have been closed by the movement of the controller from normal and the switch 61 closed, the stepping magnet 38 and the line relay 58 will beenergized, whereupon the selector will move and impulses will be sent. back over the circuit which will intermittently energize and deenergize the stepping magnet 38 and cause the controller to he stepped backto normal. When the controller has reached its normal position, the selector willbein the desired position and the opening of the contact springs 41, 42 will, by causing the denergization of the line relay 58, stop the selector in such position, the contact members 67 and 68 being at this time open, since the member 67 rests in one of the recesses of the segment 70.

The operation of the system of the invention is as follows: Assuming, for example, that the selector is to be advanced seven steps, the key 6 of the controller is depressed, the initial movement of the plunger of which key results in the contact of springs 47 and 48, thereby connecting the corresponding contact 23 of the' controller to ground. The further depression of said plunger results in the contact of all the springs 47, 48 and 49 of said key, thereby energizing the electromagnet 14 of the clutch bv the completion of the circuit in cluding battery 55, said electromagnet 14, conductor 54, the switch controlled bv electromagnet 35, conductor 53, the springs 49,

48 and 47 of the key 6 and ground. The energization of the clutch results in the connection of the driving and driven members, whereby the driven member 26 begins its advance movement over the contact terminals 23 and the segmental plate 24. The first result of this movement is the closure of springs 41 and 42 of the switch controlled by the stud 43 carried by the ratchet 29. Upon reaching the contact terminal 23 connected to the actuated key (in this case the seventh terminal) the brushes 27 and 28 of said driven member complete a circuit including battery 55, stopping magnet 35, conductor 56, the segmental plate 24, brushes 27 and 28, the contact terminal 23 corresponding to' key 6, conductor 51, contact springs 47 and 48 of key 6, conductor 50 and ground. The completion of this circuit causes the energization of stopping magnet 35, which operates initially to separate the switch springs 44 and 45, thereby opening the circuit of the clutch and disconnecting the driving and driven members, and finally to bring the catch 37 into engagement with the teeth 30 of the ratchet 29, thereby stopping said driven member in the position corresponding to the key actuated, namely, key 6, and completing the registering operation. It will be readily understood that the displacement of the driven member, as just described, is a continuous direct operation and may be accomplished at a high rate of speed. The driven member having been thus displaced and stopped in the position corresponding to the key depressed the key which, as is indicated upon the drawings, is

: of a non-locking character, may be released opening the circuit through the stopping magnet, so that its armature is retracted and the catch 37 is withdrawn from engagement with the teeth 30 upon the ratchet 29. The controller apparatus is now ready for the closure of the switch 61 and the consequent advance of the selector, the contact springs 41, 42 being already closed. At this juncture, therefore, the selector is brought into operative relation to some suitable driving means as, for example, a motor with which it may be connected through the medium of a clutch, the means emplo ed being, as already stated, no part of the present invention and therefore only diagrammatically shown. The selector in moving causes pulsations of current to traverse electromagnet 38 of the controller in unison with the stepby-step advance of the selector. As a result of the alternate energization and deenergization of the electromagnet 38, armature 39 of said electromagnet is vibrated and the escapement 40 operated. whereby the driven member 26 of the controller is caused to move to its normal position under the influence of the spring 33 in steps corresponding to the advance movement of the selector.

Upon reaching its normal position, the driven member '26 opens the springs 41 and 42, which, by the deenergization of the line relay 58, stops the advance of the distant selector in the position desired, both the controller and selector having taken seven steps or positions.

Having described the invention, what I claim is;

1. In combination, a plurality of keys, a driven member adapted to assume various positions corresponding to said keys, means for moving said driven member made operative upon the actuation of any of said keys, means for stopping said member at a position corresponding to the actuated key means for returning said member in the reverse direction to its normal position, and a selector governed in its action by the return movement of said member.

2. In a controlling device, a plurality oi keys, a driven member adapted to assume a plurality of positions corresponding to said keys, means operating on the actuation of a key for causing said member to move in a single step to a position corresponding thereto, a mechanical stop for stopping said member at said position, and an electromagnetically operated escapement mechanism for returning said member to its normal position in steps.

3. In a controlling device, a plurality of keys, a driven member, means operating on the actuation of a key for causing said driven member to move in a single step to a position corresponding to said key, a mechanical stop for stopping said member at said position, and means for returning said member in the reverse direction to its normal position in steps.

4. The combination with a driven member adapted to move to any of a plurality of positions, electromagnetic driving mechanism for moving said member, keys corresponding to said positions for controlling the operation of said driving mechanism, electromagnetically controlled mechanism for stopping said driven member at a position corresponding to an actuated key, an escapement for controlling the return of said driven member to normal in steps, and a selector governed in its action by the return movement of said member.

5. The combination with a driven member adapted to advance to any of a plurality of positions and return by a reverse movement, electromagnetic mechanism for driving said member, keys corresponding to said positions, a circuit for said electromagnetic mechanism controlled by any actuated key to cause said driven member to move directly to any of said positions, and electro- .magnetically controlled mechanisms for stopping said driven member and controlling the return of said member in steps.

6. The combination with a driven member adapted to move to any of a plurality of positions, of spring mechanism for restoring said member, electromagnetic mechanism for moving said member, keys corresponding to said positions for controlling the operation of said driving member and causing said driven member to move directly to any of said positions, and electromagnetically controlled mechanisms for stopping said driven member and for causing the return of said driven member in steps.

7. The combination with a driven member adapted to move to any of a plurality of positions, of a spring for restoring said member, electromagnetic mechanism for driving said member, keys corresponding to said positions, a circuit for said driving mechanism controlled by the actuation of any of said keys for causing said driven member to move directly to any of said positions, electromagnetically controlled mechanism for stopping said driven member, and electromagnetically controlled escapement mechanism for governing the return of said driven member.

8. The combination with a driven member adapted to move to any of a plurality of positions, keys corresponding to said positions, electromagnetic driving means and a circuit therefor controlled by the operation of any one of said keys for causing said driven member to move to a position corresponding to the key actuated, a mechanical stop for said driven member, an electromagnet for actuating said stop, the circuit of said electromagnet being controlled by the actuated key, electromagnetically operated escapement mechanism for returning said member to its normal position and a mechanical switch governed in its action by the return movement of said selector.

9. The combination vvith a driven member adapted to move to any of a plurailtyof positions, keys corresponding to said positions, electromagnetic driving mechanism controlled by the operation of any one of said keys for causing said driven member to move to a position corresponding to the key actuated, a mechanical stop for said driven member, an electromagnet for operating said stop, a circuit for said electromagnet including contacts controlled by the operated key, and an electromagnetic escapement mechanism for restoring said driven member.

10. The combination with a driven member adapted to move to any of a plurality of positions, keys corresponding to said positions, electromagnetic means for moving said member, each of said keys when actu ated operating to energize said means and cause the advance of said driven member, a mechanical stop for said driven member, an electromagnet for operating said step, a circuit including contacts controlled by an operated key for said electromaguet for stopping said driven member in a position corre sponding to the key actuated, a spring for restoring said driven member, electromagnetic mechanism for governing the return of said driven member, and a switch controlled by said driven member.

11. In combination, a plurality of keys; a controlling device having a movable member, means for moving said member, means for stopping the same at positions corresponding to the different keys, and a magnetically operated escapement for controlling the further movement of said movable member; and a selector controlled by said controlling device in its further movement, whereby said selector is moved to a position corresponding to the particular key actuatcd.

I n witness whereof, I, hereunto subscribe my name this 16th day of May A. D. 1912.

AMOS F. DIXON. lVitnesses:

F. Toonizy, \VALTER F. HoFFMAN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

